George Zimmerman Is Missing, Lawyers Quit

After nearly two months since the murder of Trayvon Martin, Geroge Zimmerman has not only remained a free man he’s now gone missing.

The news of Zimmerman’s disappearance came shortly following the decision of the prosecutor, State Attorney Angela Corey, that she will not present the case to a grand jury but instead will retain the power to decide herself whether to press charges against Zimmerman in the shooting.

In a surprise turn of events, however, Zimmerman’s lawyers Craig Sonner and Hal Uhrig held a press conference Tuesday afternoon where they stated they were withdrawing from the case after losing contact with Zimmerman.

“We’re not taking the position that we’re leaving him,” said one of the lawyers at a press conference this afternoon. “Communication can’t be one way. … I can’t hold myself out as the attorney of record at this point. It wouldn’t be ethical for me. … That’s why I’m stepping back.”

The lawyers said they had not spoken to Zimmerman since Sunday, after setting up a website with his father for his legal defense asking for donations. The following day, Zimmerman announced a separate website that surprised the lawyers.

Sonner said there were “lots of things going on that I don’t know about,” referencing Zimmerman speaking to Fox TV’s Sean Hannity off the record and calling Corey.

“We were a bit astonished,” added Uhrig.

The lawyers did, however, express their concern for Zimmerman adding, “He can’t go out to a 7/11 to buy a Diet Coke. There’s a bounty out there….Perhaps the pressure has pushed him over the edge,” Uhrig said.

As for where Zimmerman is hiding? “You can stop looking for him in Florida. Look much further than that. He is in hiding and it was better for him to stay in hiding… There were death threats,” Uhing added.

And on whether they stand by their belief Zimmerman shot Trayvon Martin in self defense, “We frankly believe that the correct decision would be not to charge him,” Sonner said. “We hope for the best for George Zimmerman.”